This feat was forgotten for a long twenty years - the country learned about the heroes of the Brest Fortress only in the early 1960s. This defense became a symbol of the resilience and self-sacrifice of the Soviet soldier. It was here that Hitler's blitzkrieg gave the first failure - according to the plans of the German command, a few hours were allotted to capture the Brest Fortress, but its garrison lasted more than two weeks, and the last defenders continued to fight until late autumn 1941. Now these facts are well known - however, there are still many controversial points and "white spots" in the history of the Brest Fortress, and there are much more questions than answers. Why did the German attack take her defenders by surprise? Why was almost the entire garrison withdrawn from the fortress on the eve of the war? What was the ratio of forces and losses of the parties? And why was the truth about the legendary defense erased from the people's memory for two decades? This book by a famous historian answers the most pressing and "uncomfortable" questions. This is the first complete chronicle of the Brest Fortress, covering not only the events of 1941, but also its entire history.